Bulk sacks



W. H. GOODING April 10, 1962 BULK SACKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 8, 1959 FIG. 1.

INVENTOR. WILLA RD H. Gooowa ATTOEA/E) April 10, 1962 w. H. GOODING BULK SACKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 8, 1959 INVENTOR. WILLARD H. GOOD/N6 ArmeA/sy United States Patent C 3,028,898 7 BULK SACKS Willard H. Gooding, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Western Velo & Cement Specialties Company, Los An-' geles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Dec. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 858,139

9 Claims. (Cl. 150-1) This invention pertains to new and improved sacks such as are commonly referred to as either bulksacks or bulk bags. Sacks of this category are primarily designed to be used in transporting comparatively large quantities of material such as, for example, 1,000 to 4,000 pounds of material.

As an aid to understanding this invention-it can be stated in essentially summary form that it concerns bulk bags or sacks, each of which is formed so as to include. inner and outer support rings which are held concentric to one another through the use of reinforcing means. In a bulk sack of this invention each of these rings car- [[168 a corresponding bag formed so as-to.v have an open top secured to it and an open bottom. The open bottoms.

of these bags are adapted to he closed through the use of closure means, such as, for example, ropes, or the like.

A brief summary of this category cannot accurately indicate the nature of this invention or many'advantages of it. With a construction as briefly indicated above, a number of specific advantages are achieved. As an example of this, the inner and outer bags employed can be utilized in transporting different materials such as, for example, cement and aggregate. Further, these bags may be emptied simultaneously so as to deliberately mix these two separate materials or they may be emptied separately so as to obtain these materials in separate form. Preferably the inner and outer bags are proportioned so as to hold the quantities of two different materials which are used together for a specific purpose.

In addition, a construction as briefly indicatedabove is advantageous inasmuch as the inner bag employed serves so as to reinforce the outer bag utilized. When this result is to be achieved the bottoms of the two bags 1 used are secured together so that stresses or strains occurring in the outer bag as, for example, when an extremely heavy load of material is located within it, are transmitted by and partially absorbed by the inner bag; By virtue of this type of construction it is possible to construct bulk sacks used in conveying comparatively heavy 'materials of comparatively thin material without employing internal supporting rods, bailsor the like, and without using separate external reinforcing means.

As a consequence of the type of structure employed in them, the bulk sacks of the present invention are comparatively simple as far as structural details are concerned. Such simplicity is reflected in the cost of these, bulk sacks; they may be easily and conveniently constructed at a comparatively nominal expense.

Various other advantages of this invention such as'are commonly referred to as objects of an invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a detailed consideration of the remainder of this specification, including the appended claims and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a bulk sack of this invent-ion in use;

FIG. 2 is across-sectional view taken, at line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken at line 3-8 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken at line 4 -4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of a modified bulk sack of this invention. t

The accompanying drawings are primarily intended so as to clearly illustrate or describe several presently preferred embodiments or forms of this invention. It will be realized however, that bulk sacks using the features of this invention as set forth in the appended claims may have different appearances, and may differ from the bulk sacks shown as to various design features of a routine engineering nature.

This invention is best more fully described by referring to these accompanying drawings. In FIG. 1 there is shown a complete bulk sack 10 of the present invention which utilizes inner and outer support rings 12 and 14, respectively. Open tops of these inner and outer bags 16 and 18 are secured to the rings 12 and 14, respectively, so as to be dependent therefrom. The two rings '12 and 14 are preferably held concentric to one another by means of vertically disposed reinforcing bars 20 which are secured to them so as to project in a radial manner from the centers of these rings. The bottoms of the bags 16 and -18 are normally open, but are designed to be gathered together so as to be tied in a closed configuration by means of ropes 22 and 24 or the equivalent. In order to complete the bulk sack 10 it is preferred to locate upon the outer ring 14 projecting, diametrically opposed lugs 26 which hold an enlarged bail 28 by means of pivot pins 30.

With the sack 10 it is normally preferred to form both the inner and outer bags 16 and 18 so that these bags have an essentially tubular shape. If desired, however, these bags may be tapered slightly so that the upper ends, of them which are secured to the rings 12 and 14 are of approximately the same diameter as these rings. It is also possible to taper the other extremities of the bags 16 and 18 from the centers of these bags so that the open bottoms of these bags when free or released project as discharge chutes capable of being used to facilitate the discharge of material from within these bags. In either of these eventualities theouter bag 18is of larger diameter throughout its length than the inner bag 16.

It is preferred to sew or otherwise secure into the bottom of the bag 16 a metal ring 21 which is of slightly less diameter than the remainder of this bag 16. When this ring 21 is used it is preferred to close the bottom of the bag'16 by merely twisting it several times so as to form a twist type closure 22. If desired, however, a rope,

(not shown) may be used so as to gather the bottom of this bag 16 above the ring 21 so as to tie the bag 16 shut instead of using the twist closure 22. A rope (not shown) can, of course, be used with the twist closure 22 described so as to prevent the bag 16 from untwisting. The open bottom of the bag 18 is preferably secured to the bottom of the bag 16 through the use of an external rope 24 which is tied immediately around the bags 16 and 18 above the ring 21. When this is done the lower extremities of the bags 16 and 18 are joined together so. that the bag 16 serves to reinforce the bag 18 against stresses and strains such as may be placed upon it during use.

In order to achieve the maximum advantages of this invention it is preferred to form the bags 16 and 18 out of a flexible material capable of giving slightly under such stresses and strains. Acceptable results can be achieved by forming these bags 16 and 18 out of known grades of heavy fabric such as canvas or the like, formed out of natural or synthetic fibers having a nominal amount of resiliency. In order to provide adequate protection and, hence, tend to aid in the sack 10 being capable of withstanding comparatively sudden stresses or strains without difiiculty.

In order to achieve optimum results with the sack it is preferred to form these rings 12 and 14 so that these rings are in actuality composed of two different rings located concentric to one another, which difierent rings fit against one another so as to clamp the bags in place in order to achieve an adequate supporting action. Thus, it is preferred that the inner ring 12 be formed of two correspondingly shaped concentric rings" 34 and 36, these rings being adapted to be secured together through the use of a plurality of equi-spaced bolts 38. It is similarly preferred to form the outer ring 14 out of separate rings 40 and 42 which fit together and which are held in this manner by means of bolts 44 which are also spaced equidistant from one another around the circumference of these rings.

With this type of construction the reinforcing bars 20 are preferably secured as by welding or the equivalent to the ring 36 and to the ring 40 as indicated 'in FIG. 3 of the drawing so as to be disposed completely within the same plane as the rings 12 and 14. Further, the lugs 26 are, as shown, attached to the exterior of the ring 42. The bars 20 and the lugs 26 are also preferably spaced from the tops of the complete rings 12 and 14 so as to facilitate closing of the sack 10 as will be subsequently described.

With this construction the bags 16 and 18 are preferably overlapped at their upper extremities as by turning these bags upon themselves so as to provide folds 46 and 48. These folds result in double layers of fabric on each of the bags which double layers extend between the pair of rings holding these bags in place. Such a double layer of fabric is very efiective in preventing premature wearing of the bags 16 and 18' by contact with these rings. Further, it provides additional support to the bags 16 and 18 where the principal stresses and strains on these bags are transmitted to the rings 12 and 14.

In order to prevent the bags 16 and 18 from pulling out from between the rings 34 and 36 and 40 and 42 it is normally preferred to locate in the folds 46 and 48 created in them a small reinforcing ring 50 of rope, cable or the like. These rings 50 cannot be pulled between the rings 34 and 36 or 40 and 42 because of their size. When stresses and strains are placed upon the bags 16 and 18, these stresses and strains are transmitted so as to, in effect, cause the reinforcing rings 50 to be jammed against the rings 34 and 36 and 40 and 42, holding andpulling these rings together.

It is also preferred to slope the rings 12 and 14, that is to say the individual rings 34 and 36, and 40 and 42 composing these rings 12 and 14, slightly toward their centers so that the bottom diameters of these rings are smaller than the top diameters of these rings. With this type of construction the internal surfaces of these rings 12 and 14 tend to act much as a common funnel so as to aid during the filling of the outer bags 16 and 18.

When the open bottoms of the bags 16 and 18 have been secured in a closed configuration as indicated in the preceding discussion both of these bags may be simultaneously filled with the same material from a single source, which material passes into these bags through the rings 12 and 14. If desired, however, the bag 16 may be initially filled with one material, such as, for example, cement, through the use of an appropriate convenient discharge structure. Then the ring 12 may be covered as by tying a fabric cover (not shown) over and around the top of it immediately above the reinforcing bars 20. In the alternative a rigid lid (not shown) may be used to cover the bag 16. Then the outer bag 18 may be filled with another material such as, for example, aggregate, and another cover may be located in a similar manner so as to cover both the inner and outer rings 12 and 14, and may be secured around the periphery of the outer ring 14 immediately above the lugs 26.

In the preferred utilization of a bulk sack of the pres ent invention with cement and aggregate the inner and outer bags 16 and 18 are proportioned as to their relative capacities so as to hold the correct proportions of these ingredients designed to be used in a concrete mixture. The exact proportions of these two bags may, of course, be varied for other purposes. It has been discovered that when the relative volumetric capacities of the bags 16 and 18 are in the ratio of about one to from about three or six as is required for a concrete mixture that the inner bag 16 effectively serves an important strain relieving or reinforcing function for the outer bag 18 as indicated in the preceding discussion.

After the bags 16 and 18 have been filled as indicated in the preceding discussion they may, of course, be transported from one location to another using the bail 28. In discharging these bags they are preferably supported by this bail and then the rope 24 is untied. When this happens the contents of both of these bags will be released simultaneously. If an extra rope (not shown) is used so as to gather the bottom of the bag 16 or so as to secure it in a closed configuration, the bag 18 will be emptied first after the rope 24 is untied. By using the complete bulk sack 10 in this manner it is possible to fill the bags 16 and 18 with quantities of material, and to dispense each of these quantities separately from one another.

In FIG. 5 of the drawings there is shown a modified :bulk sack 60 of the present invention which is substantially similar to the bulk sack 10 previously described. For convenience of designation various parts of this bulk sack 60 which are identical to or substantially identical to corresponding parts of the sack 10 are designated by the primes of the numerals previously used, both in the drawings and in this description. Such parts are not separately described herein since a separate description of them is not required for an understanding of this invention.

The bulk sack 60 is designed to be used in a similar manner as the bulk sack 10. In it, however, the inner and outer bags 16' and 18' extend through the rings 34' and 36' and 40' and 42 comprising the rings 12 and 14 respectively, so as to provide tubular bag sections extending above the rings 12' and 14. These tubular bag sections may be used as filling chutes as an aid to filling the bags 16 and 18'. They also may be tied in a closed configuration through the use of appropriate ropes or the equivalent not shown so as to form separate covers for the bags 16 and 18. In order to provide for adequate reinforcement against wear extra layer 62 of material such as is used in the bags 16 and 18' are locatedbetween the rings 34 and 36 and 40 and 42 as indicated.

In the bulk sack 60 it is preferred to use another ring 64 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the ring 40 which normally rests against the interior of the ring 40' so as to be held in place by gravity. This ring 64 is directly secured to the ends of the reinforcing bars 20 employed. It is designed so that if desired the inner ring 12' and the attached inner bag 16 may at any time be lifted from the outer ring 14' and the outer bag 18' so that the two bags may be used independently of one another. When the bags 16' and 18' are removed from one another the ring 64 is, of course, removed from engagement with the ring 40. When the two bags 16 and 18' are used together the weight of these bags and of any material within them serves to hold the ring 64 against the ring 40 and thus to hold the entire structure shown in FIG. 5 together in the desired configuration. When, however, separate materials are being transported in a bulk sack of this invention after such a sack has been used to ship concrete and aggregate or other relatively heavy material the inner and outer bags 16 and 18 may be taken apart from one another and may be used separately.

Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will realize that the bulk sack constructions herein described are quite advantageous from an economic standpoint as well as from the utilitarian standpoint. Because of the nature of the bulk sacks of this invention and the fact that a number of differently appearing and differently constructed sacks may be created through the use of routine design or engineering skill, this invention is to be considered as being limited only by the appended claims forming a part of this disclosure. As an example of such permissible variation an extra ring such as the ring 64 described in conjunction with the sack 60 may be utilized with the bulk sack 10 if desired.

I claim:

1. A bulk sack which includes: inner and outer support rings located concentric to one another; means for securing said support rings to one another; inner and outer bags attached to said inner and outer support rings, respectively, so as to be dependent therefrom, said bags being located concentric to one another, each of said bags having an open bottom; and means for closing the bottoms of the sacks and securing said bottoms to one another whereby said inner bag serves to support said outer bag.

2. A bulk sack as defined in claim 1 wherein said support rings are rigidly secured to one another.

3. A bulk sack as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for securing said support rings rests on said outer support ring so as to be capable of being removed from said outer support ring.

4. A bulk sack which includes: inner and outer tubular sacks located concentric to one another, said sacks each having an open top and a normally open bottom, said outer sack being of larger diameter than said inner sack; means for securing said open tops of said sacks with respect to one another; means for closing the bottoms of the sacks and securing said bottoms to one another, whereby said sacks may be separately filled with material and whereby said inner sack supports said outer sack when said sacks are held in a vertical position; and means for lifting both of said sacks simultaneously attached to said means for securing said open tops of said sacks.

5. A bulk sack as defined in claim 4 wherein said means for securing said open tops of said sacks includes tapered Walls and means resting upon said tapered walls whereby said tapered walls and said means resting upon said tapered walls hold said sacks with respect to one another when said sacks are in a vertical position and whereby said sacks may be separated from one another when not filled with material.

6. A bulk sack as defined in claim 4 including ring means located around the bottom of said inner sack, said ring means being attached to said inner sack, and wherein said means for securing said bottoms of said sacks is utilized above said ring means around said outer sack, and serves to gather said sacks above said ring means so as to hold said sacks with respect to one another.

7. A bulk sack which includes: inner and outer sacks, said outer sack being located so as to surround said inner sack, said outer sack being of larger dimension than said inner sack, each of said sacks having a top opening and a bottom opening, said openings in said outer sack leading directly to the exterior of said outer sack, said openings in said inner sack leading directly to the exterior of said outer sack, both of said sacks being formed of a flexible waterproof material, the volume of said inner sack when filled and located within said outer sack being related to the volume of the space between the interior of said outer sack when said outer sack is filled and the exterior of said inner sack when said inner sack is filled so that said volumes correspond to the volumetric proportions of two different ingredients employed in a mixture; means for holding said inner and said outer sacks with respect to one another so that said inner sack is secured with respect to said outer sack; and means for closing said bottom openings; and means for simultaneously lifting said interior and said outer sacks secured with respect to said sacks.

8. A container for use in transporting separately from one another ingredients used in a mixture, which container includes:

two sacks, each of said sacks having a top and a bottom portion leading to a bottom opening, said bottom portions being capable of being used as discharge chutes, said sacks being located so that the tops of said sacks are adjacent to one another and so that the bottom of said sacks are adjacent to one another, the effective volumes of said sacks being related so that said sacks are capable of being filled with different ingredients in the proportion in which such ingredients are normally employed in a mixture;

means secured to the tops of said sacks for securing the tops of said sacks to one another and for supporting said sacks; and

means for closing the bottom portions of said sacks so as to hold the ingredients in said sacks separate from one another. I

9. A container for use in transporting separately from 35 one another ingredients used in -a mixture, which container includes:

two waterproof sacks, each of said sacks having a top and a bottom portion leading to a bottom opening, said bottom portions being capable of being used as discharge chutes, said sacks being located concentrically to one another so that the tops of said sacks are adjacent to one another and so that the bottom of said sacks are adjacent to one another, the effective volumes of said sacks being related so that said sacks are capable of being filled with different ingredients in the proportion in which such ingredients are normally employed in a mixture;

means engaging the tops of said sacks for securing the tops of said sacks to one another; 5 means connected to the tops of said sacks for supporting said container; and means for closing the bottom portions of said sacks so as to hold the ingredients in said sacks separate from one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,783,240 Hoover Dec. 2, 1930 

